california, it's know longer an expletive, it's just still an insult. stay tuned, though. the month is still young. and california's a big place. "weekends with alex witt" starts now. the white house keeping a close watch this morning as afghanistan heads to the polls and the karzai era comes to an end. we look ahead to the lasting impact in e legs could have on u.s. interests. is the prospect of a mideast peace deal slipping away? john kerry concedes it's time for a reality check. 29 days later, a live report as the race for the missing plane reaches a critical stage. and history revisited today in memphis, as a shrine to civil rights heroes reopens its doors.

good morning, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." here's what's happening. today across afghanistan, the people have been given a voice. voter turnout has been high in what will be the first democratic power shift in the nation. the 12-year presidency of hamid karzai comes to an end. one of the biggest challenges today has been a shortage of ballot papers. while voting has been largely peaceful, there have been isolated security incidents. several votes injured when a bomb went off at a polling station. another one was attacked by mortar and gunfire. >> reporter: despite the threats and the concerns that the election wouldn't take place, voting today is under way. we returned from a voting station and things looked quite orderly. a lot of people are coming out

to vote. turnout is very high. a lot of men are voting. a lot of women are voting. previous elections in the country, particularly the last presidential election in 2009 was marred by lots of corruption. a lot of voting station fls the past election never opened yet mysteriously, all the people there voted for karzai. this time, he's not running. there are three front-runners. the question now is whether these votes will be counted accurately. whether this vote will be free and fair. on the surface today, so far, is good. this counting still needs to happen. if it is successful and it is peaceful and transparent, this could be, alex, the first peaceful and successful transfer of power in this country ever. >> all right, richard engel, thank you for joining me. joining me now is gail, author of the best-selling the dress maker of kirka flrks a.

i'm so glad to have you here. what does a successful election look like? >> i think we're seeing pictures of it from all across afghanistan. people rating in line. going into a ballot booth. it looks like almost any other place in the world that gets to have an election. normal normalcy. an actual transition to power that's peaceful wuld be a huge step. i think washington is watching almost as much as people in afghanistan are. >> i though things have improved. give me your sense of the status overall. how that stands in afghanistan and what you think will happen when the u.s. withdraws. >> i have watched it since the early 2000s. you have seen women mobilize, vocalize that would have been unimaginable in 2001. women have political conventions where they wrought the candidates in to talk to them.

what will you do for women? what will you do about the issue of violence against women? what will you do to make sure girls have access to education? people have been speaking up. you see maturation and sophistication. people speaking up for themselves and finding way to make sure that their rights do not go ig floer nored. >> i love that education for young girls is furthering. the hard-line candidates say they will sign the u.s. -- is it guaranteed that they will be on the ground? >> nothing is guaranteed when it comes to washington's mind. you see a debate going on for more than months about just what the u.s. commitment to afghanistan should look like post 2014. this election was something that a lot of people in washington were watching from their offices to see what the shape of the future u.s. presence in

afghanistan would be. if you have a peaceful transition to power, the next president sign the bilateral security agreement, as all three leading candidates said they would, it's hard to imagine you don't have some kind of troop presence. the numbers remain a question mark, i think, that is closely held at the white house. >> what about though when american development money dries up? what happens then? >> i think this has always been the biggest issue. it's the economic transition that is so overlooked in terms of the discussion about the political and security transition in afghanistan. two-thirds of the country is under 25 that wants to work, needs to work, get educated. it's more than 90% dependent on foreign aid. in terms of the budget. let's see if the international community keeps the dmimts to keep that money coming. it will make a big difference. >> from the council on foreign

relations, gail lemmon, thank you. the obama administration is reassessing its role in the year-long effort to broker peace. secretary kerry hinted peace talks are on the verge of clapgs saying both sides have taken steps that are not helpful. >> there is not an open-ended effort. never has been. the president said that from the beginning. i have said that many times, including the in last few days. so it's reality check time. we intend to -- evaluate precisely what the next steps will be. >> joining me now, kevin cirilli and ed o'keefe. good morning, guys. good to see you both. >> secretary kerry's statement, comes after the planned release op prisoners was called off. what do the secretary's comments

mean in terms of the obama administration's role in trying to broerk a peace deal? >> we heard secretary of state john kerry saying it's time for a quote unquote reality check for the middle east peace process. since secretary kerry has taken the position has made the mideast peace talks one of his number one priorities. visiting the region more than a dozen times, alex. since he has taken this position. and so i think that the administration just has so much going on over -- just on a foreign policy standpoint with syria, afghanistan elections today, and things always bubbling over in iran, and the ukrai ukraine. i think we're seeing that the administration is thinking perhaps they have to walk back some of the time on this issue. >> the boston globe saying that

secretary of state john kerry has been laying his legacy on the line here. do you think it sountds like he's throwing in the towel? >> not necessarily. but it looks as if this issue will fall a little further back. kevin mentioned afghanistan, syria, iran, and the president has a big trip coming up to asia that he'll have to shift focus to temporarily. there's a joke at the state department that there is no global crisis that jet fumes can't resolve. kerry has burned a lot of them. this trip he's on began with the president's trip in europe last week. he was scheduled to come back with the president but instead decided to spend another week on that side of the atlantic ocean trying to work this deal. it doesn't work out. i think he comes back to washington to reassess. they're going to have to push it farther down the priority scale. >> according to abc news, new jersey governor chris christie's

press secretary has given testimony to a federal investigator. the lawyer for michael drewniak is telling us that his client is not a target of the investigation. the report last week released that the governor was cleared. the governor, clearly, wants to put bridgegate behind him. how difficult is that es pepeciy with word now that a member of his inner circle has testified before the grand jury? >> great question. everyone wants to know whether david wildstein is going to again allege that the governor knew about these bridge foreclosures because he said he told him. as you mentioned, governor christ christie, very much trying to put this behind him. meeting with top donor sheldon

adelson, raising money for a potential 2016 campaign. this investigation is clearly ongoing. many questions yet to be answered. at some point, whether or not he is going to have to make the call whether or not this is just too much of a distraction for him to run in 2016. and when he's so clearly still having issues with the far right of his party for primary season. >> the reports say the grand jury was meeting. we knew that. this was the first time we heard of them calling witnesses to testify. where do you see this heading? >> these types of situations can take more than a year. what we don't know is how long will it last? who are they going to call? and what kind of a cloud douz that continue to hang over governor christie? he had a good week. he had one of the best fund raiding quarters in awhile, the group that he's leading.

but if these questions persist. if we continue the see this slow trickle of information. certain aids or certain people are showing up to testify. it reminds people on a regular basis there is a cloud hanging over him. >> ed, kevin, thank you, gentlemen, appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you. today, military investigators no longer believe that the gunman's mental condition was the precipitating factor in this week's attack. an argument now appears to have triggered the rampage. joining me now from ft. hood is nbc's sara dallup. tell us about the presumed answer. if. >> reporter: investigators have grown confident that it was a heated argument between ivan

lopez and some soldiers in his unit that were a direct factor in this rampage and that his mental condition alone did not spark the situation. some of the soldiers shot were involved in that situation. we don't know if they're among the dead or the wounded. the other targets were random. the army does not believe this was premeditated. they're confident that lopez acted alone. three of the most critical patients have been upgraded to fair condition. and alex, 10 of the 16 have been released from the hospital. we're told their back on duty. back to you. >> that's incredible. thank you, sara. the on-air debate that stopped wall street traders in their tracks. and a bit later, experience the civil rights movement through the eyes of the people who gave it life. the national civil rights museum reopens today. we're going to take you inside.

but first, severe storms targeting the south. and will the northeast dry out? good morning. the cold front that brought the severe weather to parts tof midwest and the gulf coast is cooling down. it's 34 in kansas city. we'll see a nice rebound. they'll make it to 57 this afterfloon. 50 in chicago. 50s in the northeast. 60 in washington, d.c. the weather is quiet, minus a few light rain and snow showers across new england and storms just south of new orleans over the gulf. tomorrow, stronger storms in yellow, including the panhandle of florida. the big threat, isolated hail and wind gusts. you're watching "weekends with alex witt." we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] first the cookie at check-in...

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two lawmakers have filed a bill in the house and senate to combat the impact of the supreme court's ruling this week that will allow people to effectively make unlimited campaign donations. the bill was introduced by two democratic senators. political committees would have to notify the federal election commission within 48 hours when a contributor donates more than $1,000 in a year. >> thank you for having me. good morning. >> before we get to the bill, what do you see as being the impact of the supreme court's ruling? >> well, i think i see what most americans see. more money, less influence by average voters, and more influence by the very wealthy. we're really offbalance. this was a terrible decision. >> all right. in are certainly those, as you well know, who will say that spending money is a form of free speech. what do you say to that?

>> well, then some must be freer than others. if you look at the kind of money that people can spend, most people simply cannot afford the kind of money that's been spent. the question here is why would one person want to be able to carry a check to every single member of congress? you need 218 to get a vote in the house. why would one person want to perhaps give a check to 218 people. it has to be for a personal, a political, or a by reason. there couldn't be any other reason for that. americans recognize that as an outrageous step in -- as i said, too much money, too much influence. it makes it harder for those of us who are actually practicing campaign finance reform. i don't cake campaign money from corporations or d.c. lobby iss. so, for me, this is a step in the wrong direction. and i think that most of my colleagues, at least on the democratic side of the aisle,

would agree with me. i know a lot of republicans who believe there is trooch money also. americans want the money out. they want the influence of ideas more than the influence of money. >> when you're walking the halls of congress and talking with colleagues, do you note a relationship between the money donated and then what happens? as if that money has influenced votes? >> well, we certainly know that there is some legislation that has been written that looks very, very similar to legislation that's been pushed by lobbyists. i would say that i don't see direct corruption. but you certainly see the influence of money. for example, the people who come to the halls of congress. you look at who is paying for them to be there to do the lobbying. y you get a sense that there's an agenda there. it's not the agenda that most

small businesses and people that live on main street have. it drowns out the voices of the average citizen. the average citizen feels that. they feel left out of the process. for the public to feel disconnected from the political process is a bad thing for this country where we have celebrated that everybody's voice count. the money helps to drown out the voice of the average voter. it amplifies the voices of the very wealthy. >> harry reid is in a public battle right now on the senate floor. he's called the koch brothers n un-americans. said they're trying to buy elections. are comments like that helpful in this debate? >> i wouldn't go as far as perhaps the senator did. certainly the koch brothers have been playing in my election and have put a lot of money into my

opponent. they've been in in other elections as well. i'm very concerned about the impact and the fact that they have greater influence than so many others who can't write that size check. >> okay, may i ask you qukly about afghanistan? i know you serve on the armed services committee. what does today tell you about the success or lack thereof of america's war there? >> the fact that they're having an election is a really good sign. i'm proud of the role that americans and'res ha others havd to make sure this election is held. it's up to the afghan people to decide what their country will look like. so far, it's been impressive that they're having the election. there's been violence. but not as great as the taliban threatened. we're hopeful that the taliban will not frighten people away. and that they will have an e

legs that allows the afghans to choose their next leader. >> carol shea porter, thank you for your time. the new formal and bank fees. how much you could end up paying for not balancing your books? and is wall street a fixed game? the on-air debate that almost brought trading to a halt. >> do you think the markets are rigged. >> you said it in the book. that's when i knew that the markets were rigged. it's disgusting that you're trying to parse your words now. a backyard invasion. homeowner takes matters into his own hands. ♪ ortho weed b gon max. with the one-touch, continuous spray wand... kills weeds without harming innocent lawns. guaranteed. weeds killed. lawn restored. justice served. weed b gon max with the one-touch wand. get order. get ortho®.

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10,000 baby boomers retire every day. they don't call themselves unemployed. without that that number would be a lot higher. we're adding about 192,000 jobs in this period. that makes us consistent about 200 k. people like that if the recovery were operating on all figures. african-americans and the long-term unemployed represent a lot of people. they've been unemployed for seven months or more. >> the bank balancing act. costlier. >> it is. it's tough to be a bank. people have a visceral reaction. they think you're using my money. the word "fee" gets upd people's skin. the immediate ran rate for overdraft fees or overdraft protection. it's now at $30. as high as you teased, $50. you can do it yourself, which is why the regulation says you to

opt into this service. if you don't catch things and are not monitoring your online banking all the time, your checks bounce, it could affect your credit. there's a trade-off there. the consumers need to know they're making and paying for it. >> the sound bite storm. talk about that. >> that's a great way to tee it up. what started as a book tour for michael lewis, the esteemed writer of "moneyball" fame wrote a book called "flash boys." one of the people was on "60 minutes" and contends that the stock market is rigged because of hft, high-frequency trade ppg the hft crowd said are you kidding me? how could you say that? one of them bill o'reilly came out to really throw -- bill on brian, forgive me. throw some punches. at first it looked like there

wasn't going to be match. and then, brad took the bait and here's what happened next. >> okay. >> shame on both of you for falsely accusing literally thousands of people and possibly scaring millions of up ve investors. >> do you thing the markets are rigged? >> i think it's hard to put a word on it. >> you said it in the book. it's disgusting that you're trying to parse your words. >> you with quoted that way in the book. >> let's walk through an example. >> do you believe it or not? because you said it. >> let me walk you there an example. >> it's a yes or no question. >> i believe the markets are rigged. >> goldman sachs has thrown its weight behind brad. >> pl >> it's amazing. >> let me finish this. >> in my exchange as a sign of corruption. the backing of his exchange is a

sign of virtue. he didn't try to contact anybody. the answer is no, you didn't. >> that's not true. that's not true. >> you didn't try to contact any employ eee of bats. >> you can get on air and shout all you want. it's not true. >> you're on a much bigger soap box than i am. >> alex, it went on for 20 minutes. it almost stopped trading on the stock floor in terms of people watching. i was listening to it on sirius in my car. i pulled over it was that will fully loaded. it's opened up a debate. you can be sure eric holder and the s.e.c. are going to be taking a closer look. >> thanks for bringing it to us. regina lewis. thank you. author todd peridham joins e . what super poligrip does for me is it keeps the food out.

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welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." the search for the malaysian airliner is entering the fifth week. the crews are intensifying the effect because the batteries in the black box could run out any day now. ian williams, how are the crews stepping up the search now? >> reporter: hello, alex. it's been four weeks to the day since mh 370 disappeared. today saw the biggest and most intense search yet. 13 aircraft. 11 ships. even a british nuclear-powered submarine. two of the ships carrying underwater listening gear. to see if they can detect the pings coming from the black box. the fear being that the batteries on the black box could expire in days. normally, they would wait to use the kit until they found wreckage. that would enable them to better

narrow down the search area. in the absence of wreckage, they're having to do everything they can. even though that is described as pretty much a best guess at this point. the malaysian acting transport minister said today that malaysia's termination remained undiminished. he said, quote, malaysia will not stop looking for mh 370. but clearly, once the batteries die in the black box, that search becomes more difficult than it is now, alex. >> absolutely does. ian, thank you very much. from perth, australia. secretary of state john kerry says the u.s. is evaluates its role in the mideast peace process saying it's time for a reality check. >> there are limits to the amount of time and effort that the united states can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps in order the be able to move forward. so, we intend to evaluate.

they say they want to continue. both parties say they want to continue. neither party has said that they've called it off. but, we're not going to sit there indefinitely. >> kristin welker, a good saturday morning to you. the administration, any word officially about secretary kerry's comments? >> reporter: they're walking a bit of a fine line. the white house won't say that the mideast peace talks are dead. still, there's no doubt this is a new low in negotiations. while traveling in morocco on friday, secretary kerry said it's time for a quote reality check. gives you a sense of just how dismal their hopes are at this point. just for background, this impasse came earlier this week after mahmoud abbas said he would seek membership to 15 international agencies. that, of course, goes against the spirit of these talks.

abbas saying the move came after israel reneged on its promise the release more palestinian prisoners. kerry canceled a meeting with abbas on wednesday. prior to this standoff, there was a sense that this was moving in the right direction. the u.s. considering releasing jonathan pollard, the american convicted of spying for israel back 26 years ago. for secretary kerry, who has travelled to the region 12 times. in an effort to make progress. by the april 29th deadline that negotiators had settled on. on friday, dep tear white house secretary said it's ultimately up to them to resolve this. >> we remain committed to this task. at the same time, this ultimate goal that we're aiming for is something at the can only be accomplished when the leaders of

the israeli people and palestinian people decide to make the very difficult decisions that they alone can make. >> reporter: now a source close to the talks says that there will likely be a meeting between a top u.s. negotiator, the israelis, and the pan stin yans on sunday. it doesn't look promising at this point. we continue to monitor the talks, though. alex? >> thank you for that, kristen. the election today in afghanistan, the turnout has been high. the future of the war torn country at stake. and the future of the tense of houses of u.s. troops on the ground. joining me, colonel jack jacobs, a medal of honor recipient. your sense of 13 years. blood, sweat, treasure. does it all come down to this,

the election, to giver us the worthiness of all that we've invested? >> actually yes. it does. it comes down to this election. all three of the candidates who, one of whom will get electied, all of them said they hawill si the security agreement. >> they're all front-runners. >> if not, we have problems. it come down to an elected government that will permit the united states to stay there in sufficient force to train their army so they can protect afghanistan. it come down to that. >> is there any option that you think is viable that we would go with a zero option at the end of 2014? we would withdraw troops entirely? >> it's hard. with the security agreement in place that allows us to keep 10,000 to 15,000 troops there to conduct training and logistical

support. i can't imagine any military leader advising the president that we should pull out. wut that training force, that 13 years of blood and treasure, that will have been lost. >> does anybody look at this and say, 13 years, look at the poll done at the end of last year with overwhelming american sentiment sayinging get out. >> i think they'll persist in any case. this president says he'll persist. i don't think he'll yield to polls. i think he'll yield to good military advice that says it's striking that all we need is 10,000 to 15,000 people there to train the afghan army. if that fails, all bets are off. our objective is to train them to take care of themselves. the military establishment and the president will persist, no matter what the polls say. if there is no security agreement, we're getting out. if there with was and we're staying there and training and

the training is going nowhere, we're going get out. >> how about the american development money? what about when that dries up? how does that affect things? >> that's a different story altogether. afghanistan has never been a rich country. it's one of the poorest countries in the world. a population in kabul and other cities. but by and large, it's distributed in tribal regions. development money is not necessarily going the make a big impact on where the country goes. what is important is what you suggested at the top of this segment, and that is the election. it's the pivotal moment. if the election is successful, there is hope for the country, with or without development money. if it's not, then all is lost. >> but you mention the tribal regions, is afghanistan designated, is it designed for a place that will have a federal government running things? or more of leadership in kabul and then the tribal regions run

themselves? >> well, the latter. i agree with you. when we don't have the wool pulled over our eyes, we understand that this is not a country that is a unified country. it will have a central government that will be strong in kabul, weak every other place and will have to rely on the fie fema fealty of the tribal leaders. >> colonel jacobs, appreciate your insight. next tuesday, the anniversary of the signing of the civil rights act. who. >> reporter: the may jar players behind that? todd purdum talks next. mall cag so that was our first task, was getting him to wellness. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley.

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an idea whose time as come. he shares an interesting observation. i began by asking him who were the champions of the civil rights act. >> well, kennedy's vision was essential. martin luther king's endless slow campaign and crusade. johnson's skill. in the brass tax way of getting the bill through the senate, there are forgotten people. clarence mitchell. known as the 101st senator when there were only five black members of congress. he was a diligent person prowling the hallways working on this bill. one of the most important members of the house, william mccullough. he was crucial. he believed in civil rights. >> talk about an interesting exchange between president

johnson and his press secretary, george ready. ready told a reporter johnson was continuously in touch with martin luther king and he did not like that. >> this was in the aftermath of the signing of the bill. george ready had been asked by reporters if the president had talked to martin luther king. he had. but johnson didn't like the idea that he was too close to king. king was still a controversial figure at that time. he wasn't the saintly figure he's become in memory. johnson new how politically risky the bill had become. he knew it would pu the democrats in trouble for the future generations. >> in terms of civil rights, how did johnson feel about that? >> his own views had evolved very slowly at the time. as a young member of congress, he voted against civil rights legislation because he was from texas and texas caucused with the south. as time went on, he realized

that the country was changing and the laws had to keep pace. he had an exchange with one of his servants, gene williams, a driver for the family. once he asked him to drive the family car back to texas when the senate session ended and take the family beagle with him. the fella said no, senator, you don't no how hard it is for a black man to drive across the south much less with a dog so could i please not do that? he said it made an impression on him. he told somebody from the naacp that he felt free at last. he pursued the boldest civil rights legislation since the civil war. >> how have things challenge ng? >> the republicans dom inflate the south and the house. all the things working for the republicans in the election in term of helping them perhaps

take back the senate are the things that will work against them in the national election next year and will hehelped oba. >> the bipartisanship possible? >> it doesn't. there districts are so much redder and bluer. there i they have to worry about a primary from their own party. that is a different -- reality today than it was 50 years ago. >> we're going to have plr of the conversation today at 12:00 noon when we talk about some of the most interesting figures he has pro fifield. it was the scene of tragedy and the struggle for civil rights. today it's been rededicated. we'll take you there next. that's right, no hidden fees. it's just that i'm worried about, you know, "hidden things." ok, why's that?

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turning in tax cheaters helped the irs rekoecover $67 million from the cheaters. a museum reopens today. a day after the 46th anniversary of martin luther king's assassination. at 9:30 a.m. this morning, the official opening day begins with a parade. with a welcome to you. let's talk about what happens with this restoration. how does the destination change and how does the journey begin. >> the museum renovation includes much more than the civil rights movement in the traditional sense. it expands to what they describe as five centuries of resistance.

beginning with the transatlantic trade slave. there's a replica of a galley of a slave ship. then it goes into the jim crow era. through the black power movement. it ends and rounds around room 306. the attempt is to get a new generation of people immersed into history. by using the documentaries, they hope people feel a more visceral connection to the past. >> i have been to memphis and stood where you are. you look sort of just amazingly at the balcony there. the museum held a ceremony. can you describe it? >> it was a solemn procession. it was led by a sax phonist.

they walked before the ror lain motel. they laid a wreath at the spot where doctor king was assassinated. some people sat quitely, some with young children on their shoulders. it was a touching moment. it is a special place. a place that is hallowed ground. people come to reflect here. >> the goal of the museum. sit inspirational? exoccasional? what is the big takea? >> i think it's a combination. you can't help get an emotional reaction. this is where one of the nation's greatest leaders was slain. it's educational. more than words or book on a wall. you're drawn back into the struggles that help build a movement in america. the takeaway is you can feel

impassioned and perhaps be motivated. they want to spur a new generation to take up a torch and carry on. >> i want to talk about the motel it. you do tell about when it was built. curators took a lot of pain staki staking efforts to keep things the way they were. >> they consulted with dozens of scholars. not only making sure that the history is accurate. making sure that the details within the hotel are accurate. you go inside room 306, where martin luther king spent his last moments alive, there's a r replica of a coffee cup, a half-eaten meal. across the street, in the old motel. where doctor king's assassin fired from him from a window,

you see the transsister radio there. it's amazing the amount of time and attention that went into making sure that everything was the way it was. >> we were showing replicas of the galley. that's extraordinary to have people be able to sit there. >> one opponent is people are not aware of. the conditions that most op the pretty horrible. what sparked the protest -- what sparked the strike in the first place was the death of two workers -- the rain was pouring and they couldn't talk with their white employees.

that's what drew dr. king to memphis. that sanitation truck and that replica is at the heart of all of this. >> thank you so much. great reporting there on quite an important day. thanks. we want to remind all of you the civil rights summit will be held next week in texas. we will have special coverage starting tuesday right here on msnbc. that's a wrap of this hour on "weekends with alex witt." straight ahead on "up with steve kornacki." [ male announcer ] g you more than halfway. it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. ...we'll be here at lifelock doing our thing: you do your connect to public wi-fi thing protecting you in ways your credit card company alone can't. get lifelock protection and live life free.

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